Columbia Campus Protester Tarek Barzouk’s Direct Ties to Hamas

Among the many non-students who used the Columba campus to protest last year against Israel, chanting such slogans as “From the river to the sea/Palestine shall be free,” which is a call for Israel’s disappearance and its replacement by a 23rd Arab state, and “globalize the Intifada,” which is a call for attacks on Jews worldwide, was one Tarek Bazrouk. It turns out that he was not merely a sympathizer with the terror group Hamas; he was also someone who received regular reports from the spokesman for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades on the situation in Gaza, and suggestions as to tactics and timing for the campus protests. More on Tarek Bazrouk can be found here: “Violent antisemitic campus protester is member of Hamas al-Qassam brigade group chat,” by Mathilda Heller, Jerusalem Post, June 5, 2025:

Tarek Bazrouk, who is awaiting trial after being indicted on three federal hate crimes against Jews, was a member of a chat group that received regular updates from Hamas’s al-Qassam spokesperson Abu Obeida, according to his detention filing, provided to The Jerusalem Post by the US Department of Justice.

Bazrouk, 20, protested against Israel on Columbia University’s campus, despite not being a student there. According to his detention filing, Bazrouk physically assaulted Jewish individuals at protests on three separate occasions. He was arrested after each incident, but continued his campaign of “violence and intimidation,” fleeing the scene after two of the incidents.

Merely by appearing on the Columbia campus, when the university was trying to prevent the presence of non-students, Bazrouk was committing trespass. He was not a “peaceful protester,” but had physically assaulted Jewish students on three occasions. He was arrested on each occasion, but unaccountably set free while awaiting trial, despite his assaults constituting “hate crimes” and given his violent past, there was a strong likelihood that he would assault another Jewish victim.

In one of the incidents, which occurred on April 15, 2024, Bazrouk attacked a Jewish college student at a pro-Israel rally, kicking him in the stomach and yelling “Allahu Akhbar.” During the attack, Bazrouk was wearing the green Hamas headband.

In the second incident, at the end of 2024, Bazrouk punched a Jewish student in the face at a protest near Columbia University. In the third incident, Bazrouk punched a Jewish victim in the nose while saying “F*** you, Nazi.”

The detention filing revealed that Bazrouk is a member of a chat group that received regular updates from the al-Qassam brigade’s chief spokesperson, Abu Obeida. His phone also had multiple pictures of keffiyeh-masked Hamas members as well as Yahya Sinwar.

He punched one Jewish student in the stomach, punched a second in the face, and a third on the nose. Yet he apparently was allowed to remain free while awaiting trial. Now, on each count of assault and battery, he could receive up to five years in jail.

Bazrouk was an admirer of the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 atrocities, Yahya Sinwar, whose picture he had on his phone. He also had numerous photos of keffiyeh-draped Hamas members. He was a deep sympathizer with the terror group. And he was a member of a group that was kept informed of developments in Gaza by the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigade, Abu Obeida. In essence, Barzouk was part of the Hamas network, even if not formally a member of Hamas. He was supplied with information from them and took his marching orders from them.

There were also weapons found in his apartment, including a hunting knife, spent shell casings from a gun, and brass knuckles….

Let’s see. On three separate occasions Barzouk has violently attacked Jewish students. He had an arsenal of weapons in his apartment: a hunting knife, shell casings (but no gun — he must have well hidden, or gotten rid of, the gun) and brass knuckles. He was preparing for even more violent attacks to be carried out in the future. Oh, yes, I almost forgot: the police also found $750,000 in cash in his apartment. Hmm.

Additionally, while on a trip to the West Bank in September 2024, Bazrouk texted a friend saying he had discovered some of his family members were Hamas members, a discovery that made him “mad happy.”…

Proud of his relatives who were members of Hamas, he was hoping a little of their glory would reflect well on him. When he returned to New York, he no doubt shared the glad news with his Arab friends. And he, in his own way, by assaulting Jews in New York City, would be a brave fighter in the “cause of Palestine.”

American intelligence agencies, including the FBI and the CIA, have long suspected that some of the thousands of students who take part in anti-Israeli demonstrations are taking their marching orders from Hamas. However, the case of Tarek Bazrouk is the first time direct evidence has linked a protester to the terrorists. So watch this case. It will prove important. And if nothing else, the years in prison Barzouk now will likely face will have a powerful effect in dissuading others who might have been contemplating bringing mayhem to American campuses.